Washer dispenser and power screwdriver assembly



April 2, 1957 F. T. CODER ET AL. 2,787,303

WASHER DISPENSER AND POWER 'SCREWDRIVER ASSEMBLY Filed 001:. 4, 1954 v 2Sheets-Sheet 1 III I Y! /A/VN70R-5 4 7.- coom H. m SCHA urasmcm 8y I iAprilZ, 1957 F. T. CODER ET AL 2,787,303

WASHER DISPENSER AND POWER SCREWDRIVER ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 4, 1954 2Sheets-Sheet 2 "/Nva/vroks f TCODEP H W SCHAUFCLBL RGER ATTok/Vm' UnitedStates Patent WASHER DISPENSER AND POWER SCREW- DRIVER ASSEMBLY Fred T.Coder, Groveland, Mass, andI-Ienry W. Schaufelberger, Union, N. J.,assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y.,acorporation of New York Application October 4, 1954, Serial No. 459,992

8 Claims. (Cl. 144-42) This invention relates to washer dispensersparticularly those adapted for use in combination with screw driverunits.

During the manufacture of various types of electrical units for use inthe communication arts, it is necessary to assemble certain of the partsby machine screws and washers. To perform these functionsmanually,considerable time is required. There are satisfactory power driven screwdrivers and commercially known units to feed screws to the screw driversbut there arose the problem of feeding washers into position so that thescrews may be forced through the washers and driven into threadedapertures of the parts' The object of the invention is a washerdispenser capable of efiiciently and economically feeding a given numberof washers successively to an assembling position.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises a washerdispenser including an arm having a washer receiving pocket movablebetween an assembling position and a receiving position beneath a stackof washers in a hopper to move a shelf from beneath the stack of washersand to actuate an element capable of'separating a given number ofwashers from the stack for depositing in the pocket of the arm.

In the present embodiment of the invention, thewasher dispenser isemployed in combination with the screw driving unit and a screwdispensing unit so that a given number of washers will be received inthe pocket of the arm and returned to alignment with the screw driverunit whereby a screw from the screw dispensing unit may be forced intothe washers and the washers forced. through the pocket for connectionwith threaded parts.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdetailedrd'escription when considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the washerv dispenser shown incombination with a screw driving unit and a screw dispensing unit;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the washer dispenser with the other unitsremoved;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of a part ofthe washer dispenser taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the pocket portionof the arm, illustrating a portion of the screw driver unit and a screwabout to be moved into the washers;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line5--5 of Fig. 2; s

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the structure shownin Fig. 5 illustratingthe pocket of the arm in the receiving position;

Fig. 7 is a view of the structure shown in Fig. 6 with the arm movingout of the receiving position, and

Fig. 8 is an exploded view of the structure shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7(not including the arm).

Referring now to the drawings, attention is directed 2,787,303 PatentedApr. 2, 1957 first to Fig. 1 which illustrates the dispensing apparatusin combination with a screw driver unit 10 having a reciprocable screwdriving element 11 movable in a given path to which screws 12- may befed singly through the aid of a commercially known screw feeding unit14.

The washer dispenser includes a hopper 15 adapted to receive a supply ofwashers 16 and support them in stacked formation. The hopper 15 issupported by an apertured cover plate 18- of a supply unit 19. The coverplate 18 has a groove 20 therein to receive a member 21 of a spacingelement 22. A block or enlarged portion 23 mounted in the groove 20 ofthe cover plate 18 disposed adjacent the aperture 24- for the hopper,limits movement of the spacing element 22 in one direction. The spacingelement 22 with its member 21 is disposed in a hollow portion 26 of aslide 27', lateral portions 28 of the member 21 nesting in cutawayportions 29 of the slide which are greater in length than the portions28. A spring 30 interposed between the member 21 and a surface 31 of theslide 37 performs important functions which will be describedhereinafter. The slide 27' with its open portion 26 straddling the blockor projection 23 also straddles the aperture 24 so as to receive washersfrom the hopper and allow them to rest on a shelf 33.

The slide 27" rests in an intermediate member 35 particularly in agroove 36 thereof with the shelf 33 extending through an elongateaperture 37 in the grooved portion thereof. The cover member 18 and theintermediate member 35 with the slide 27 and element 22 assembledtherebetween are mounted on a support 38 of the contour shown in Fig. 8Where the upper surface is cut away at 39. The cutaway portion 39,cooperating with the intermediate member 35, provides a passageway for aWasher dispensing arm 40. A pin 41 fixed to the slide 27 is con- Inected to one end of a spring 42, the other end thereof being connectedat 43in a longitudinal aperture 44 of the support 38.

The dispensing arm 46 is mounted on a vertical shaft 45 and includes apocket 46 at one end thereof in which resilient members 47 are mounted.The resilient elements 47 are of the general contours shown in Figs. 2and 4 to receive, in the present instance, two washers 16, transfer themfrom the receiving position adjacent the chute 15 to the assemblingposition shown in Fig. 2 and to permit the screw driver element 11 toforce the screw 12 into the washers through the pocket 46 where thescrew may be driven by the screw driver 11 into threaded apertures 48 ofparts 49. A lever 51 is fixedly mounted on the shaft 45 and has aslidable connection 52 with a ram 53 of a double acting piston (notshown) of an air cylinder 54. The air cylinder has its heads 55 and 56connected through lines 57 and saw a commercially known solenoidoperable valve 59. Solenoid units 69 and 61' are energizable singly toactuate the valve 59. The solenoid unit is shown in a circuit 62 underthe control of a switch 63 which may be actuated by the screw driverunit 10 including (for example) a projection 64 on a rod 65 of thereciprocating means for the screw driver element 11. The projection maybe positioned so that, as the screw driver element 11 moves upwardlyafter completing an assembling operation, it may close the switch 63 tooperate the solenoid unit 6!) to operate the valve 59. The solenoid unit61 is under the control of a switch 67 in a circuit 68, the switch beingactuated by the leading portion 70 of the ram 53.

Considering now the operation of the washer dispenser, it should beunderstood that, as the screw driver element 11 moves upwardly aftercompleting one driving operation, switch 63'is closed, operating thesolenoid unit 60 to actuate the valve 59, admitting air under pressurefrom a supply line 71 through line 57 to move the ram 53 to the right(Fig. 2) to swing the arm 40 from the assembling position shown in Fig.2 to a position where the pocket 46 will be in alignment with the hopper15. During movement of the arm into the receiving position, the forwardend of the arm strikes the shelf 33, moving the shelf with the slide 27against the force of the spring 42, while at the same time, moving thedividing element 22 between the second washer from the bottom and theremainder of the stack of washers. Attention is directed to theknife-like forward edge 73 of the element 22 adapting it to readilyenter the chosen space above the second washer from the bottom in thestack dividing the leading or lowermost pair of washers so that they mayrest on the shelf 33 until the shelf has been moved free of the hopperby the arm 40. At this time, the pocket 46 of the arm is positionedbeneath the hopper to receive the two washers separated from theremaining washers in the stack by the element 22. At this point in theoperation of the dispenser, the spring 30 performs its most importantfunction (as illustrated in Fig. 7) of holding the member 21 and theelement 22 against movement to the right until the shelf 33 starts itsmovement beneath the hopper 15. It will be observed by viewing Fig. 7,that the element 22 and the shelf 33 overlap each other to prevent anypossibility of downward movement of the washers in the hopper until theshelf 33 is ready to receive them. Furthermore, the distance between theelement 22 and the upper surface of the shelf is substantiallyequivalent to the thickness of two washers. This distance may be variedto include the thickness of any desired number of washers to betransferred to the assembling position. When the arm 40 has been rockedfrom the assembling position to the receiving position, the washersimmediately drop into the pocket and, at the same time, the ram or theforward portion of the ram 70 actuates the switch 67 to energize thesolenoid unit 61. The switches 63 and 67 are operated momentarily duringmovement of their actuating members 65 and 70 and, for this reason, theswitches are not held operated. However, the valve 59 will remain in anyposition moved through the energization of its solenoid units 60 and 61until reversed. With this arrangement, it is apparent that the washerdispenser functions automatically while the screw driver unit returns toits starting position so that rapid successive operations may beperformed accurately, feeding a selected number of washers between eachoperating cycle of the screw driver unit to the assembling position.

It is to be understood that the above described arrangements are simplyillustrative of the application of the principles of the invention.Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled inthe art which will embody the principles of the invention and fallwithin the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A washer dispenser comprising a hopper for washers in stackedformation, an arm swingable about a pivot and having a washer receivingpocket therein, means to swing the arm to move the pocket between itsnormal assembling position and a receiving position in alignment withthe hopper, a shelf normally urged into a position beneath the hopper tosupport the washers and movable from beneath the hopper by the armmovable into its receiving position, and an element moved by the arm andwith the shelf to separate a given number of washers from the bottom ofthe stack to drop into the pocket when the pocket is moved into thereceiving position.

2. A washer dispenser comprising a hopper for washers in stackedformation, an arm swingable about a pivot and having a washer receivingpocket therein, means to swing the arm to move the pocket between itsnormal assembling position and a receiving position in alignment withthe hopper, a shelf normally urged into a position beneath the hopper tosupport the washers and movable from beneath the hopper by the armmoving into its receiving position, an element moved by the arm and withthe shelf to separate a given number of washers from the bottom of thestack to drop into the pocket when the pocket is moved into thereceiving position, and means to retard movement of the element frombeneath the stack of washers until the shelf is moved beneath the stackof washers.

3. A washer dispenser comprising a hopper for washers in stackedformation, an arm swingable about a pivot and having a washer receivingpocket therein, means to swing the arm to move the pocket between itsnormal assembling position and a receiving position in alignment withthe hopper, a shelf normally urged into a position beneath the hopper tosupport the washers and movable from beneath the hopper by the armmoving into its receiving position, an element moved by the arm and withthe shelf to separate a given number of washers from the bottom of thestack to drop into the pocket when the pocket is moved into thereceiving position, and compressible means to hold the element beneaththe stack of washers until the shelf is moved beneath the stack ofwashers.

4. The combination with a power driven screw driver reciprocable in anassembling position relative to a work support and a unit to feed screwssingly to the screw driver, of a washer dispenser comprising a hopperfor washers in stacked formation spaced from the assembling position, anarm swingable about a pivot and having a washer receiving pockettherein, means actuable to swing the arm to move the pocket between theassembling position and a receiving position beneath the hopper, meansactuated by the arm moving into its receiving position to cause thedeposit of a given number of washers into the pocket, and means toretain the given number of washers in the pocket until pushed throughthe pocket by the screw and screw driver.

5. The combination with a power driven screw driver reciprocable in anassembling position relative to a work support and a unit to feed screwssingly to the screw driver, of a washer dispenser comprising a hopperfor washers in stacked formation spaced from the assembling position, anarm having a washer receiving pocket therein, means actuable to swingthe arm to move the pocket between the assembling position and areceiving position beneath the hopper, means under the control of thescrew driver to actuate said arm swinging means, means actuated by thearm to cause the deposit of a given number of washers into the pocket,and means to retain the given number of washers in the pocket untilpushed through the pocket by the screw and screw driver.

6. The combination with a power driven screw driver reciprocable in anassembling position relative to a work support and a unit to feed screwssingly to the screw driver, of a washer dispenser comprising a hopperfor washers in stacked formation spaced from the assembling position, anarm having a washer receiving pocket therein, means actuable to swingthe arm to move the pocket between the assembling position and areceiving position beneath the hopper, a shelf normally urged into aposition beneath the hopper to support the washers movable from beneaththe hopper by the arm, and an element movable with the shelf to separatea given number of washers from the bottom of the stack to drop into thepocket when the pocket is moved into the receiving position.

7. The combination with a power driven screw driver reciprocable in anassembling position relative to a work support and a unit to feed screwssingly to the screw driver, of a washer dispenser comprising a hopperfor washers in stacked formation spaced from the assembling position, anarm having a washer receiving pocket therein, means actuable to swingthe arm to move the pocket between the assembling position and areceiving position beneath the hopper, a shelf normally urged into aposition beneath the hopper to support the washers movable from-beneaththe hopper by the arm, an element movable means to retard movement ofthe element from beneath the stack of washers until the shelf is movedbeneath the stack of washers.

8. The combination with a power driven screw driver reciprocable in anassembling position relative to a work Support and a unit to feed screwssingly to the screw driver, of a Washer dispenser comprising a hopperfor Washers in stacked formation spaced from the assembling position, anarm having a washer receiving pocket therein, means actuable to swingthe arm to move the pocket between the assembling position and areceiving position beneath the hopper, a shelf normally urged into aposition beneath the hopper to support the washers movable from beneaththe hopper by the arm, an element movable with the shelf to separate agiven number of washers from the bottom of the stack to drop into thepocket when the pocket is moved into the receiving position, andcompressible means to hold the element beneath the stack of washersuntil the shelf is moved beneath the stack of washers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,058,654 Barber Apr. 8, 1913 1,203,554- Brackett Oct. 31, 19161,624,189 Steen Apr. 12, 1927 1,839,490 Moeller Jan. 5, 1932 1,958,248Runk May 8, 1934 1,991,467 Sawin Feb. 19, 1935 2,507,047 Perry May 9,1950 2,599,283 Price June 3, 1952 2,628,646 Bailey et al Feb. 17, 19532,681,668 Labbert June 22, 1954

